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At 7 p.m. Central time on Tuesday, Jan. 3, the first contest of the 2012 presidential nominating process finally kicks into gear in Iowa. As you've heard countless times, Iowans vote in caucuses, which are small political meetings held in 1,774 locations scattered around the state. Here's a quick primer. How It Works A primary election feels very much like any other election day. Polls are open all day, and voters show up when they want. But a caucus is actually a meeting, with a schedule: It starts at a certain time; party business is conducted; and, at some point, voting occurs. Matt Strawn, the chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, starts with the basics. "Well, the first thing is you need to be obviously an Iowa resident who is eligible to vote in the state of Iowa," he says. You need to show up at the proper precinct, based on your address. You can participate if you'll be 18 years old on Election Day of November 2012. If you're a registered Republican,